Female condoms

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(Page 2)

The female condom

woman's legs

HOW TO USE A FEMALE CONDOM

• Find the inner ring of the condom, and hold it between your thumb and middle finger.
• Squeeze the ring together and insert it as far as possible into the vagina, making sure that the inner ring is past the pubic bone.
• The outer ring should be outside of the vagina.
• Make sure that the condom has not become twisted.
• Before intercourse, and during it if necessary, put a couple of drops of water-based lubricant on the penis.
• After intercourse, and before standing up, squeeze and twist the outer ring to make sure the semen stays inside, and remove the condom by pulling gently. Use it only once.

DISPOSING OF FEMALE CONDOMS

You should always dispose of condoms appropriately in the trash. Do not flush a female condom down the toilet. It is likely to clog the plumbing.

IMPORTANT TIPS

• Be careful not to tear condoms with sharp fingernails or jewelry.
• Use each condom only once.
• Make sure condoms are available and conveniently located. If there are no condoms handy at the time of a sexual encounter, you may be tempted to have intercourse without one.
• Do not use a petroleum-based substance such as Vaseline as a lubricant. These substances break down latex.
• If a condom tears or breaks, if the outer ring is pushed up inside the vagina, or if the condom bunches up inside the vagina during intercourse, remove it and insert another condom immediately.
• When you remove the condom after intercourse, and you notice that it is torn or broken, some sperm may have spilled inside the vagina, increasing your risk of becoming pregnant. Contact your health care provider or pharmacy for information about emergency contraception.
• Do not use a female condom and a male condom at the same time. Friction between them can cause them to bunch up or tear.
• Remove tampons before inserting the condom.

Review Date: 05/15/2006
Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network